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Oct25

Top Haunted Cities in the United States [LIST]

With Halloween lurking just around the corner, the holiday will be just that much more creepily festive if you reside in or visit one of the U.S. cities mentioned below. That’s because these cities are considered to be some of the most haunted locales in the U.S. when it comes to spotting ghosts and experiencing other strange paranormal events.

New Orleans, Louisiana – With its long history and haunted French Quarter, not only is the Mardi Gras celebrated in this absorbing and notable city but it is also a good place to celebrate Halloween. In fact, you could say that Halloween is commemorated throughout the year here. Sightings of ghosts in the form of cats and dogs have been reported in a number of the cemeteries. In addition, visitors to hotels in the French Quarter have also reported hearing unexplained footsteps and the opening and closing of doors. Add to that the eerie sounds heard in the most haunted house in America, the LaLaurie House at 1140 Royal Street.

Galveston, Texas – Established in 1863, Galveston was hit by a category four hurricane in 1900. Known as the Great Storm of 1900, the tempest struck the Galveston area on September 8, striking the city hard with winds that measured well over 100 miles per hour and a storm surge that claimed a height of over 15 feet. Spirits of the victims of the storm are believed to haunt the city.

San Francisco, California - San Francisco lays claim to a number of haunted areas (including Russian Hill, which is just north of the Nob Hill neighborhood). Probably the best known haunted building in the megalopolis though sits on Alcatraz Island. Established in the early 30’s as a maximum security penitentiary, the prison facility of Alcatraz housed one of America's most notorious gangsters, Al Capone. Visitors have said that they have heard the sounds of chains and agonized cries when walking through the hollow-sounding corridors of the cell blocks.

Miami, Florida – Miami is also a known ghost city, with the Biltmore Hotel giving it this distinct reputation. The acclaimed hotel opened in 1926 and has provided lavish accommodations for such esteemed guests as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Vanderbilts, and the infamous gangster, Al Capone. However, it is the spirit of mobster Thomas Walsh, aka Fatty Walsh, that is said to haunt the hotel. Walsh who was killed in 1929 on the 13th floor of the Biltmore Hotel is said to visit that floor as well as the famous hotel’s elevator from time to time.

Chicago, Illinois – Chicago abounds with ghost stories and sightings. In fact, if you really want to plan a memorable Halloween celebration, the Windy City is the perfect place to visit. Perhaps the metropolis’s most famous ghost sighting and story is the one about “Resurrection Mary.” Mary has been seen walking along Archer Avenue in the city, looking forlorn and lost, on a number of occasions. The ghost girl was tragically killed by a car in the 1930s.

The hit-and-run accident occurred after Mary had an argument with her boyfriend. Before the incident, she and her beau had been enjoying a night of dancing at the O Henry Ballroom. Mary was interred in Chicago’s Resurrection Cemetery. Some people have reported that they have picked Mary up in their car, only to find the girl had disappeared before or when they arrived at Mary's requested destination.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – The place where the most deadly combat occurred during the Civil War, Gettysburg has had its share of strange and scary paranormal activity. Farnsworth House in the city is considered the most haunted Bed and Breakfast in America.

Charleston, South Carolina – Home to Fort Sumter, another Civil War site, the place where the first shot of the Civil War rang out is also home to a number of reports of chilling cries and sounds of explosions that cannot be explained.